Apparatus for automatically cleaning vehicles or the like



Dec. 15, 1964 5. G. GRASS 3,160,903

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLEANING VEHICLES OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 23, 1963 1N VENTOR. 6mg GRBSS B Y $1M ar/amm A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,160,903 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLEANING VEHICLES 0R TIE LIKE Gary G. Grass, Railway, N.J., assignor to Colonnag Ag., Zug, Switzerland Filed Sept. 23, 1963, Scr. No. 316,836 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 25, 1962, C 28,014 9 Claims. (CI. 15-97) The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for automatically cleaning vehicles or the like of the type wherein a conduit system is supplied with a medium to be applied to the vehicle, as for example water, wash or cleansing fluid or the like, said conduit system feeding spray nozzles. There is further provided one or more specific cleaning members arranged upon a frame or individual support for wiping contact with the surfaces of the vehicle or object to be cleaned.

In the commonly assigned, copending United States application, Serial No. 251,100, filed January 14, 1963, for Method and Apparatus for Automatically Cleaning Vehicles or the Like, invented by Walther von Eichel and myself, there are disclosed different possibilities for applying and constructing the cleaning members of the cleaning installation. Such installation can, for example, and

as taught in the aforesaid application, partake the configuration of a wall, or a gateway or gantry adapted to be penetrated to a certain extent by the vehicle to be cleaned. The wall or gateway is provided with flexible cleaning members, which for example are partially curtain-like and partially cushion-like. Additionally, a plurality of cleaning members may be provided which encompass the profile of the vehicle and are laterally displaced relative to one another or arranged in overlapping relation. Without taking into consideration the shape of the cleaning members in detail, it is always the case that these cleaning members during expiration of the relative movement non rotatably and wipingly passes the surface of the object to be cleaned. Thus, the cleaning members can be moved past a stationary vehicle by means of a suitable drive for example, which displaces such cleaning members together with their supports either individually or in their entirety, whether such movement be in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle or also at an angle thereto. Moreover, it is also possible that the vehicle itself experiences a displacing movement. The installation is provided in an appropriate manner with nozzles from which water, cleansing fluid or the like can flow and impinge upon the surfaces to be cleaned. Such an installation renders possible a rapid execution of the working process and provides an important advantage in that a protective, yet very intensive treatment of the surface to be cleaned is achieved.

. Now, the present invention relates to a further improved construction of such an aforesaid installation for the cleaning of vehicles or the like. In many instances, it is advantageous if one or more, or even all, of the cleaning members do not continually project towards the profile or surface of thevehicle to be cleaned. Such is especially the case when carrying out particular working procedures, or during non-use of the installation during which time it is desirable that a further withdrawn or retracted position of the cleaning members can be achieved. Thus, in the idle condition of the installation there exists a large tree passageway or opening which, for example, permits the passage of vehicles therethrough which are not to be cleaned, and without contact with the cleaning members, aswell as permitting of an unhindered inspection of the same. On the other hand, in the operating condition of the installation the cleaning members are utilized in the required manner. Moreover, even with a working procedure consisting of different operational steps, it can of itself be desirable that the cleaning members do not come into contact with the vehicle for a given period of time. Such would be true, for example, during the rinsing cycle, approximately such that the cleaning members during a washing operation, during which time there is used detergent or other suitable washing fluid, bear against the vehicle, and for a subsequent rinsing with clear water such cleaning members can be removed or retracted.

In order to render this possible in what may be considered to be a very simple and expedient manner, the present invention contemplates providing an adjustment or adjusting device for moving one or several cleaning members out of a rest position and into a specific working position for engaging the vehicle to be cleaned. This adjustment device is advantageously driven by the fluid medium supplied to the conduit system serving to feed the nozzles." Since such medium, such as water, washing fluid, detergents or the like is always readily available, there is here not required any special expenditure for the generation and application of auxiliary energy as is usually necessary. In accordance with the construction of the cleaning members, whether such be configured as a curtain, a cushion or the like, the device can itself engage the cleaning member in question, or can engage a movable support for the cleaning member in order to effectuate a pivoting, rotating, a back-and-forth, or an up-anddown movement, or even also a displacement movement. Advantageously, the adjustment device' embodies a working cylinder for effecting the desired movement. There may also be provided a control valve which permits fluid medium to be supplied to one or the other face of a piston of the aforesaid working cylinder, as well as to both faces thereof, depending upon operational requirements, in order to effectuate the forward and return movement and/or rotation of the relevant cleaning member into a desired position, as thecase may be. An advantageous and very simple constructional form of the invention resides in that, a member or element of the adjustment device impinged by the infed fluid medium, as for example perhaps a piston member, is directly connected to the conduit system supplying the nozzle means. Thus, there results an actuation of the cleaning member or members, as soon as the nozzles connected with this conduit system are placed in operation. Such corresponds to normal requirements, having the advantage that the installation is very simple, and furthermore it is not necessary to employ any switch members or the like.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the adjustment device is arranged such that it only is, or can be, supplied with one of a number of different mediums employed during cleaning of the vehicles or objects in question. In view of such, it is particularly contemplated that the adjustment device is only then placed in operation when working with washing or cleansing fluid, whereas it remains at rest during a rinsing cycle with clear water for example, with the cleaning member(s) being held out of contact with the vehicle at such time. The adjustment device can for this purpose be directly connected to a conduit system which conducts the washing or cleansing fluid in question (detergents or the like) to the nozzles, whereas a supplying of water for the rinsing needed, for example always then when the conduit system is supplied via a pump or the like with such washing or cleansing fluid. The actuation of the valve from the closed to the open position, and vice versa, can for example occur automatically in dependance upon the switching-in and switchingout of the pump motor, in any suitable and well-known manner.

By virtue of the aforementioned measures there results washing fluid for example, and, on the other hand, oper-' ates independently of the type of fluid medium every time such medium is supplied.

In accordance with thepresent invention a particularly advantageous construction is manifested by the feature that the adjustment device embodies a working cylinder provided with a piston member impinged by fluid medium only at one side, said piston member being subjected to the action of a suitable energy storage means in the form of a spring or similar expedient operating in a manner to withdraw the cleaning members from out of their work position and into their inoperative or rest position.

Especially when working with one or several curtainlike constructed cleaning members, and according to a further feature of the invention, it is contemplated that the curtain or curtains be able to be'rolled up and down by means of the adjustment device. Thus, this adjustment device can be provided with a rotatable element or part or also a rectilinearly movable part which is impinged by the fluid medium, for example apiston member, whereby the transformation into a rotational movement is achieved by very simple means, with the aid of a chain member for example. An advantageous construction, especially also fofcleaning operations employing back and forth relative movement between the vehicles to be cleaned and the cleaning members resides in the feature that, two wind-up rollers for the curtain-like cleaning members which are spacedly arranged from one another are provided at a gantry, frame member or the like, and by means of a chain drive or equivalent "expedient are rotatable together via the adjustment device. I

Accordingly, it is a primaryobje'ct of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for the cleaning of vehicles and the like including means for selectively and automatically displacing the cleaning members into either a work position for wiping contact with the vehicle or into a rest position removed from such vehicle.

Another important object of the present i'nvention is the provision of apparatus for automatically cleaning objects, especially a car wash installation, provided with suitable cleaning members, and including adjustment means for controllably positioning said cleaning means in accordance with the different working steps employed during the cleaning operation.

Still a further important objects of the present invention contemplates providing an automatic car washinstallation having cleaning membe'rs for acting upon the surface of the vehicles to be cleaned with a nonrotary wiping action, and means for automatically displacing such cleaning members into desired position, said dis placing means being operatively connected with a least one conduit system for a fluid medium employed during the cleaning operation. I

These and still furtherobjects and the entire scope of applicability of the present invention will become ap? parent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will 'become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a front view of a displaceable gantry or arch-like traveling frame member of a cleaning installation provided with curtain-like cleaning members; and

FIGURE 2 schematically illustrates details of the adjustment device of FIGURE 1, as viewed from the side from a position within the traveling frame member and looking towards the spray nozzles.

Describing now the drawing, it is to be recognized that the illustrated installation, by way of example, comprises a displaceable gantry or arch-like, traveling frame member 1 provided at its underside 'with wheels 2. adapted to travel upon suitable rail members carried on a base support unit 3. During the car washing operation the traveling gantry or frame member 1 is moved relative to the vehicle to be cleaned by means of any suitable drive member (not shown), with said frame member 1 traveling in one or the other direction. The vehicle is supported in the usual manner upon ramp or track elements 4 .pro

vided on the base support unit 3, with the contour or profile of the vehicle being illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 1. It is of course also conceivable that the vehicle be moved past the frame member 1, in order to provide the relative movement necessary between such members, in the depicted embodiment, to effect a wiping action of the cleaning members upon the aforesaid vehicle.

Internally of the traveling gantry or frame membsrt, which for example is here shown constructed in box-like configuration, there is provided a pipe or conduit system 5. The conduit system 5 is advantageously supplied with a suitable washing medium via an externally extending hose connection '6 or the like, communicating with a conventional wash medium supply source, said conduit system 5 thereby serving to supply the nozzle members 7. The washing medium flows out of the nozzle members 7 from different sides, thereby being sprayed or applied onto the surface of the vehicle desired to be cleaned. It is of course possible, for example, to initially employ water for a wetting cycle which is then removed from a main conduit network. During the period of wetting the vehicle, the gantry of arch-like frame membei 1 moves from one end to the other of the vehicle. Then, after completing a suitable switching operation, a washing fluid can be delivered from a suitable reservoir or vessel by means of a standard feed pump, during which time the arch-like frame member 1 is moved past the vehicle in the opposite direction. Thereafter, it is again possible to follow such operation with a rinsing operation with clear water.

The arch-like frame member or gantry 1 is further equipped with cleaning members which are moved past the surfaces of the vehicle to be cleaned with a wiping action. In the drawing two cleaning members 8 are illustrated which are formed of textile fabrics and are configured to provide curtain-like cleaning members. These curtain-like cleaning members 8, during travel of the arch-like frame member 1, contact the surface of the vehicle and sweep thereover with anon-rotary wiping action. Additionally, it should be appreciated and understood that it is possible to provide laterally arranged cleaning members, in the form of cushions, expandable bag members or the like. For the sake of clarity in illus- V tration such cleaning members have been omitted from.

of the zone of the vehicle passageway or opening of the frame member 1, as well as to again return such cleaning members into a position enabling contact with the profile of the vehicle to be cleaned, during the various work cycles of the car wash installation, the curtain-like cleaning members 8 are arranged, according to the teachings of the invention, so as to be capable of being rolledup and rolled-down, for example in the manner of a window shade. To this end, and as can be clearly seen from FIGURE 2, the arch-like frame member 1 exhibits at each side two projecting arm members 9, advantageously also constructed as box-like members and contain suitable bearings or supports for two rotatable wind-up rollers 10 or the like. In an obvious manner, the curtain-like cleaning members 8 are each secured at their upper end to one of these wind-up rollers 10. In order to displace the curtain-like cleaning members 8 out of their rolled-up, rest or inoperative position into the rolled-down, extended working position during which time they are in suspended condition as shown in the drawing in order to be able to wipingly contacting the vehicle, there is provided an adjustment device, here shown arranged at the right-hand, cut-away portion of the frame member 1 depicted in FIGURE 1. In FIGURE 2 there 'is schematically illustrated this adjustment device as viewed from the inside of the frame member 1 and looking towards the spray nozzles 7.

The adjustment device incorporates a working cylinder 11 provided with a piston member 12 and piston rod 13, said cylinder member being mounted in any suitable manner internally of the frame member 1. A conduit 14 is operatively connected to the upper end 11a of the working cylinder 11 and is directly connected with the conduit system 5 supplied via the hose connection 6 and serving to supply the nozzle members 7, as best seen by referring to FIGURE 1. A chain member 15 is connected to the upper end 13a of the piston rod 13 and is guided over a sprocket wheel 16, engaging at its other end 15a with suitable energy storage means, here shown to be a tension spring 17. This tension spring 17 is arranged, for example, upon a base portion 18 of the frame member 1. The sprocket wheel 16 is seated so as to be stationary upon a rotatable shaft member 19 supported in the upper portion 1a of the frame member 1. A further sprocket wheel 20 is mounted on this shaft member 19, about which an endless chain 21 is guided. This endless chain member 21 is further guided over two sprocket wheels 22 (FIGURE 2) secured to a respective end of each windup roller element 10. A pair of loosely mounted guide rollers 23 (FIGURE 2) serve to guide this endless chain member 21, such that it can travel within the confines of the arm members 9.

In the rest of inoperative position of the adjustment device, the piston member 12 of the cylinder 11 assumes its uppermost position under the action of the tension spring 17, whereby the curtain-like cleaning members 8 are wound onto and about the wind-up rollers 10, the passageway through the frame member 1 then being rendered unobstructed. Now, if a washing fluid medium is conducted to the conduit system 5 via the hose connection 6 for supplying the nozzle members 7, whether such be water from the main conduit network or, for example, washing or cleansing fluid supplied by a pump, then the piston member 12 of the working cylinder 11 is simultaneously acted upon by such fluid medium via the conduit 14. Due to the exerted pressure of the washing fluid medium, the piston member 12 is caused to move against the action of the spring in a downward direction until it reaches its end position,-or contacts a suitable stop member (not shown) selected according to operating requirements. Consequently, the chain arrangement 21 is correspondingly driven and thereby rotates the wind-up rollers 10 such that both curtain-like downwardly. If the associated working cycle is com- 6. pleted, then pressure is no longer applied'to the piston 12, this piston member then returning into its upper end position under the force of the spring member 17. In this way there is achieved in a very' simple and expedient manner that the curtain-like cleaning members 8 automatically assume their working position when the nozzle members 7 come into operation, and upon termination of the relevant work process again automatically return into their rest or inoperative position. In this arrangement, the wind-up'rollers 10 exhibit a relatively large spacing from one another which, among other things, in consideration of successive work cycles with to and fro movement of the frame member 1 can be of advantage. The illustrated arrangement can, without difliculty, be modified to work in different ways, depending upon existing requirements.

The direction of winding of the curtain-like cleaning members 8 upon the wind-up rollers 10 can also be selected such that always one of the two cleaning members rolls-up when the other unravels. of advantage, for example, when only one curtain-like cleaning member 8 is to be used for washing, whereas the other should be used in preparing for or carrying out a drying operation, during which time the nozzle members 7 are not activated. Naturally, it is also possible to employ only a single curtain-like cleaning member 8 which can be rolled-up and unraveled, or to provide a larger number of such cleaning members.

It is further possible with an installation of the illustrated type that the conduit system 5 and the nozzle members 7 connected therewith only serve for applying cleansing fluid to the vehicle. In order to carry out a rinsing operation with clear water, there is then provided a further conduit system with corresponding nozzle members, which for the sake of clarity in illustration have been omitted from the drawing. For example, such rinsing or wetting nozzles can then be arranged externally or laterally adjacent the nozzle members 7 shown, or also in alternation with such nozzles can be arranged on the frame member 1, whereby then a further infeed member is provided which corresponds to the hose con- I nection 6 and which can be supplied by the main conduit network. With such an arrangement then, the adjustment device for lowering the curtain-like members 8 only comes into operation during an actual washing cycle or process, that is to say, when the conduit system 5 is provided with washing or cleansing material. If this is shut-01f then the curtain-like members 8 are disposed in their rolled-up position, retaining such positions also when the other conduit system is brought into operation for supplying clear water. This can be of considerable advantage in a number of instances.

If this possibility should also then exist when the conduit system 5 illustrated in the drawing serves for supplying water as well as also washing or cleansing fluid, then there is provided at the conduit 14 a valve member 14a which when working with washing 0r cleansing fluid medium is opened and when working with water is closed. The valve 14a, for example a magnetic valve, can be actuatable together with a suitable pump for delivering the washing fluid. If such a valve member 14a is continually held in open position,

then there results the aforesaid described condition that the adjustment device comes into operation every time any kind of fluid medium is delivered to the conduit. system 5.

Now, for the other cleaning members, for example those arranged on the vertical portions 1b of the frame member, for example perhaps cushion-like configured cleaning members, as aforementioned, there may be provided a corresponding adjustment device, incorporating for example a work cylinder having a piston rod engaging with a-pivotable support for these cleaning members. It is also possible to carry out mutation of one or more such cleaning members by means of the same adjust- This can be ment device which serves to roll-up and roll-down a curtain-like cleaning member, for example with the aid of a further sprocket chain drive or the like. In accordance with requirements, it is also readily possible to combine together groups-of cleaningmembers which are tobe actuated by an adjustment device.

From the foregoing discussion it should therefore be manifest that numerous possibilities for modification of the illustrated device are available, and that combinations of individual .features from the difiierent suggested and taught embodiments is also possible. Thus, while there is. shownand described present preferred embodiments of the invention, itis to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practised within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent,

1. Apparatus for automatically cleaning objects, particularly vehicles and the" like, comprising at least one cleaning member supported to be movable from a work position during which said cleaning member is in wiping contact with-the object to be cleaned into-amest position out of contact with said object, nozzle means positioned to cooperate with said object for applying desired fluid medium onto said object, a conduitsystem for supplying said nozzle means with said desired fluid medium, fluid actuated: adjustment means, cooperating with each said cleaning member for displacing the latter from said rest position into said working position, said conduit system including means for supplying fluid medium moving through said conduit system to saidfluid actuated adjustment means for actuating the latter, said at least one cleaningv member being of curtain-like configuration, means for supporting each curtain-like configured clean ing member such that it can be rolled-up into said rest position or unraveled into said working position by means. of said fluid actuated adjustment means.

2. Apparatus for automatically cleaning objects, particularly vehicles and the like according. to claim 1, wherein said fluid actuated adjustment means is directly connected to said conduit system such that a portion'of any fluid medium flowing towards said-nozzle. meansalso always flows to said fluid actuated adjustment means.

3. Apparatus .for automatically cleaning objects, .par-

ticularly vehicles and the likev according to. claim 2., wherein said supplying means of said conduit system for said fluid actuated adjustment means comprises .a conduit connection for directing .a portion of the fluid medium moving throughsaid conduit system directly to said fluid actuated" adjustment means.

4. Apparatus for automatically cleaning objects, particularly vehicles andkthe like according to claim 1, wherein said supplying, means of said conduit system for said fluidactuated adjustment means permits selectively communicating said conduit system withsaid fluid actuated adjustment means in dependence upon the type of fluid medium flowing through said conduit system.

5-. Apparatus for automatically cleaning objects, particularly vehicles and:the like according to claim 4, wherein said supplying means of said conduit system for said fluid, actuated adjustment means includesv a valve member capable'ofv being selectively opened and closed in dependence upon the type of. fluid medium flowing through said conduit system.

6. Apparatus for automatically cleaning objects, particularly vehicles and the like. according to claim 1, said fluid actuated adjustment means comprising a working cylinder, a piston .slida-bly supported within said working cylinder and impinged at one face with fluid medium received'from said conduit. system to displace each associated cleaning member intosaid working'position, and energy storage means cooperating with. said piston member for returning each said associated cleaning member from said working position-into said rest position.

7. Apparatus for automatically'cleaning objects, particularly vehicles andthe like according to claim 6, wherein said energy storage means is a spring, member.

8. ARParatus, for automatically cleaning objects, particularly vehicles and the like according to claim 1, including a frame member for carrying said cleaning members.

9. Apparatus for automatically cleaning. objects, particularly vehicles and the like according to claim 8, wherein at least agpair ofcurtain-Jlike cleaning. members is provided, saidlsupporting means for each curtain-like cleaning member comprising a rotatable wind-up roller, said pair of wind-up rollers for said pair of curtain-like cleaning members being spacedly arranged from one another upon said frame member, saidv adjustment means including a chain drive mechanism for conjointly rotating said pair of Wind-up rollers.

References Cited by the Examiner- UNITED STATES PATENTS.

2,648,342 8/53. Vanie'tal. 2,800,671 7/57 Nowak.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLEANING OBJECTS, PARTICULARLY VEHICLES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CLEANING MEMBER SUPPORTED TO BE MOVABLE FROM A WORK POSITION DURING WHICH SAID CLEANING MEMBER IS IN WIPING CONTACT WITH THE OBJECT TO BE CLEANED INTO A REST POSITION OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID OBJECT, NOZZLE MEANS POSITIONED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID OBJECT FOR APPLYING DESIRED FLUID MEDIUM ONTO SAID OBJECT, A CONDUIT SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING SAID NOZZLE MEANS WITH SAID DESIRED FLUID MEDIUM, FLUID ACTUATED ADJUSTMENT MEANS COOPERATING WITH EACH SAID CLEANING MEMBER FOR DISPLACING THE LATTER FROM SAID REST POSITION INTO SAID WORKING POSITION, SAID CONDUIT SYSTEM INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID MEDIUM MOVING THROUGH SAID CONDUIT SYSTEM TO SAID FLUID ACTUATED ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR ACTUATING THE LATTER, SAID AT LEAST ONE CLEANING MEMBER BEING OF CURTAIN-LIKE CONFIGURATION, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING EACH CURTAIN-LIKE CONFIGURED CLEANING MEMBER SUCH THAT IT CAN BE ROLLED-UP INTO SAID REST POSITION OR UNRAVELED INTO SAID WORKING POSITION BY MEANS OF SAID FLUID ACTUATED ADJUSTMENT MEANS. 